Will blocking social media make you more productive?

My favorite part of summer has become looking at vacation photos on Facebook. I love seeing where my friends are traveling and how they are enjoying their summers. And, I admit, I often log onto Facebook during the work day to take a peek at who just posted a cool vacation pic? Doesn't everybody?

Social media has become a part of the world we live in, including the workplace, but the jury’s still out on whether employers should care about employee time spent on Twitter and Facebook and whether they have a real need to ban it in the workplace.

I like to argue that using social media at work can be productive. On social media sites you can learn about trends, new laws, news events and client needs. You can learn the bits of personal information about a customer that can help you create a bond. Currently, about 94 percent of recruiters are using social media as part of their hiring toolbox.

After a quick look at Facebook, I feel like I just got up from my desk and chatted with a friend. I'm ready to return to the prior task with more focus. A short break to scan Facebook, look up a recipe on Pinterest, or engage in a conversation on Twitter might actually be the brain break you need to refocus and get more done.

Of course, there is a downside to allowing social media in the workplace. Employees posting negative, inappropriate, or downright inflammatory content can really put their employer into hot water. And, there are always workers who take it too far. Social media abuse can be a performance problem, but odds are the employee already has performance concerns. In that case, a boss should provide counseling and discipline if too much time is being spent on it.

Hyman suggests employers embrace the fact that employees will access their accounts from work and put policies and procedures in place to minimize problems and distractions. The best way to limit issues, says Hyman, is to train your workers about the various things that may come up when using social media (professionally or personally) and ensure that they understand what the company policy says.

Blocking social media at work won't necessarily make your employee more productive. With much more marketing happening online, it may become a necessity for more of us to use social media during our work day, anyway. Now all we need is to master self control.